Sunday evening December 12

Monday evening
Saturday evening

Preparation

Opening response

Favor us, Lord, and deliver us.

Lord, come quickly and help us.

Reveal among us the light of your presence

that we may behold your power and glory.

Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,

creator of light and darkness,

to you be glory and praise forever.

As evening falls, you renew your promise

to reveal among us the light of your presence.

May your word be a lantern to our feet

and a light upon our path

that we may behold your coming among us.

Strengthen us in our stumbling weakness

and free our tongues to sing your praise.

Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Blessed be God forever.

That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,

let us pray with one heart and mind.

Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,

so may your mercy come down upon us

to cleanse our hearts

and set us free to sing your praise

now and forever.

Amen.

Hymn

Light of Life, Seraphic Fire

Charles Wesley

Light of life, seraphic fire,

Love divine, thyself impart;

Every fainting soul inspire,

Shine in every drooping heart.

Every mournful sinner cheer,

Scatter all our guilty gloom,

Son of God, appear, appear!

To thy human temples come.

Come in this accepted hour,

Bring thy heavenly kingdom in;

Fill us with thy glorious power,

Rooting out the seeds of sin.

Nothing more can we require,

We will covet nothing less;

Be thou all our hearts’ desire,

All our joy and all our peace.

Whom but thee have we in heaven?

Whom have we on earth but thee?

Only thou to us be given,

All beside is vanity.

Grant us love, we ask no more;

Every other gift remove;

Pleasure, fame, and wealth, and power,

Still we all enjoy in love.

Confession of sin

When we cry out to the Lord in our distress,

he will save us from our desperate circumstances.

God will bring us out of darkness

and out of the shadow of death.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

A time of silence and self-examination may be kept.

May the Father forgive us

by the death of his Son

and strengthen us

to live in the power of the Spirit

all our days.

Amen.

Let us thank the Lord for his faithful love,

and his wondrous works for all people.

Let us offer thanksgiving sacrifices

and declare what God has done in songs of joy.

cf Psalm 107

The Word of God

Psalm 50:1-6

Refrain:

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

From the rising of the sun to where it sets,

God, the Lord God, speaks,

calling out to the earth.

From Zion, perfect in beauty,

God shines brightly.

Our God is coming;

he won’t keep quiet.

A devouring fire is before him;

a storm rages all around him.

God calls out to the skies above

and to the earth in order to judge his people:

“Bring my faithful to me,

those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

The skies proclaim his righteousness

because God himself is the judge.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now

and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Psalm prayer

Mighty God,

dwelling in unapproachable light,

forgive our vain attempts to appease you,

and show us your full salvation

in Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

Psalm 62

Refrain:

I must find rest in God only, because my hope comes from him!

Only in God do I find rest;

my salvation comes from him.

Only God is my rock and my salvation—

my stronghold!—I won’t be shaken anymore.

How long will all of you attack others;

how long will you tear them down

as if they were leaning walls or broken-down fences?

The only desire of this people

is to bring others down low;

they delight in deception.

With their mouths they bless,

but inside they are cursing.

Oh, I must find rest in God only,

because my hope comes from him!

Only God is my rock and my salvation—

my stronghold!—I will not be shaken.

My deliverance and glory depend on God.

God is my strong rock.

My refuge is in God.

All you people: Trust in him at all times!

Pour out your hearts before him!

God is our refuge!

Human beings are nothing but a breath.

Human beings are nothing but lies.

They don’t even register on a scale;

taken all together they are lighter than a breath!

Don’t trust in violence;

don’t set false hopes in robbery.

When wealth bears fruit,

don’t set your heart on it.

God has spoken one thing—

make it two things—

that I myself have heard:

that strength belongs to God,

and faithful love comes from you, my Lord—

and that you will repay

everyone according to their deeds.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now

and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:

I must find rest in God only, because my hope comes from him!

Psalm prayer

O God, teach us to seek security,

not in money or theft,

not in human ambition or malice,

not in our own ability or power,

but in you, the only God,

our rock and our salvation.

Old Testament reading
Isaiah 35

The desert and the dry land will be glad;

the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like the crocus.

They will burst into bloom,

and rejoice with joy and singing.

They will receive the glory of Lebanon,

the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.

They will see the Lord’s glory,

the splendor of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,

and support the unsteady knees.

Say to those who are panicking:

“Be strong! Don’t fear!

Here’s your God,

coming with vengeance;

with divine retribution

God will come to save you.”

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,

and the ears of the deaf will be cleared.

Then the lame will leap like the deer,

and the tongue of the speechless will sing.

Waters will spring up in the desert,

and streams in the wilderness.

The burning sand will become a pool,

and the thirsty ground, fountains of water.

The jackals’ habitat, a pasture;

grass will become reeds and rushes.

A highway will be there.

It will be called The Holy Way.

The unclean won’t travel on it,

but it will be for those walking on that way.

Even fools won’t get lost on it;

no lion will be there,

and no predator will go up on it.

None of these will be there;

only the redeemed will walk on it.

The Lord’s ransomed ones will return and enter Zion with singing,

with everlasting joy upon their heads.

Happiness and joy will overwhelm them;

grief and groaning will flee away.

Silence may be kept.

New Testament reading
Luke 1:57-66

When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a boy. Her neighbors and relatives celebrated with her because they had heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy. On the eighth day, it came time to circumcise the child. They wanted to name him Zechariah because that was his father’s name. But his mother replied, “No, his name will be John.”

They said to her, “None of your relatives have that name.” Then they began gesturing to his father to see what he wanted to call him.

After asking for a tablet, he surprised everyone by writing, “His name is John.” At that moment, Zechariah was able to speak again, and he began praising God.

All their neighbors were filled with awe, and everyone throughout the Judean highlands talked about what had happened. All who heard about this considered it carefully. They said, “What then will this child be?” Indeed, the Lord’s power was with him.

Silence may be kept.

Gospel canticle
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

Refrain:

You show mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors you as God.

With all my heart I glorify the Lord!

In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.

He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.

Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored

because the mighty one has done great things for me.

Holy is his name.

He shows mercy to everyone,

from one generation to the next,

who honors him as God.

He has shown strength with his arm.

He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.

He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones

and lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away empty-handed.

He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,

remembering his mercy,

just as he promised to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.

Luke 1:46-55

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now

and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain:

You show mercy to everyone, from one generation to the next, who honors you as God.

Brief silence.

The Apostle’s Creed

Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers

Thanksgiving and intercession

Thanksgiving may be made for the day.

Intercessions are offered

for peace

for individuals and their needs

Prayers may include the following concerns:

The church, that she may be ready for the coming of Christ

The leaders of the church

The nations, that they may be subject to the rule of God

Those who are working for justice in the world

The broken, that they may find God’s healing

Other intercessions and supplications may be offered as the Holy Spirit leads.

Response

In faith we pray

We pray to you, our God.

Silence may be kept.

Collect of the day

O Lord Jesus Christ,

who at your first coming sent your messenger

to prepare your way before you:

grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries

may likewise so prepare and make ready your way

by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,

that at your second coming to judge the world

we may be found an acceptable people in your sight;

for you are alive and reign with the Father

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Awaiting his coming in glory, as our Savior taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours

now and forever.

Amen.

Conclusion

May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting.

Amen.